18 May, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Prison Protest Expands
IMEMC – Wednesday May 18, 2011 – 18:33, Protests against conditions in Israeli jails have continued recently, with two additional institutions joining the hunger-strikers’ action.
World Bank Praises PA Progress
IMEMC – Wednesday May 18, 2011 – 18:28, On Wednesday, the World Bank released a report commending state-building efforts by the PA, noting in particular its success in creating ‘strong public institutions’.
Amnesty International Calls For Investigation Into Nakba Killings
IMEMC – Wednesday May 18, 2011 – 16:48, Amnesty International has called on the Israeli state to undertake a full, impartial and independent investigation into the Israeli military actions during the Nakba day commemorations. At least 12 people were killed and hundreds injured around the West Bank and on Israel’s borders to Lebanon and Syria and the Gaza Strip.
Barghouti Expresses Support For Unity Deal And Decleration Of Statehood
IMEMC – Wednesday May 18, 2011 – 15:12, The individual said to be behind the second intifada, jailed Fatah official Marwan Barghouti, has backed Palestinian moves to declare statehood in September adding that the US and Israel could not stop it.
Israeli Human Rights Record Slammed In Amnesty International’s Annual Human Rights Report
IMEMC – Wednesday May 18, 2011 – 12:40, Amnesty International’s annual global human rights report for 2011 has slammed Israel’s human rights record both in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The report, which described the human rights revolutions across the Middle East and North Africa as “inspirational”, has condemned Israel’s conduct in multiple areas including the justice system, the Gaza blockade, human rights accountability, housing demolitions and settlement activity, torture and excessive use of force, freedom of movement and freedom of speech.
Israeli Military Conducts 11 Arrests On Tuesday
IMEMC – Wednesday May 18, 2011 – 10:56, The Israeli military yesterday carried out incursions into the West Bank and arrested 11 as part of the crackdown in the aftermath of the Nakba commemorations.
Barak okays MK daylight visit to Joseph’s Tomb
5/18/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday approved a petition by right-wing members of Knesset to allow MKs to visit Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus during daylight hours. The Hebrew-language daily Maariv reported that 20 MKs, most of them rightists, are scheduled to visit Joseph’s Tomb under protection….
Russia expels Israeli military attache
5/18/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Russia has expelled Israel’s military attache at its Moscow embassy on spying allegations, Israeli defense officials said on Wednesday, dismissing the charges as unfounded. The officials said air force Colonel Vadim Leiderman returned to Israel several days ago after being questioned by Russian authorities over espionage allegations and then told to….
2 more prisons join strike action
5/19/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Palestinian detainees in six Israeli prisons continued protest action Wednesday, observing another two days of hunger strike as a move to secure the release of their peers from extended periods in solitary confinement. This is the third week in a row that strike actions have been implemented, and saw the….
Palestinian side closes Rafah crossing
5/18/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip stopped work late Wednesday in protest of the treatment of Palestinians at the terminal, officials said….
Report: Jailed leader urges unity progress
5/19/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Imprisoned Fatah leader and unity champion Marwan Barghouthi urged his party and Hamas to quickly implement the reconciliation agreement signed in Cairo two weeks earlier. Barghouthi, convicted by an Israeli court for masterminding the second Palestinian uprising in 2000, was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council while serving five consecutive life….
Amnesty calls for investigation into Nakba Day deaths
5/19/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — A “full, impartial and independent investigation” must be launched into the Israeli military’s use of force against Palestinians and Syrian Durze during Sunday protests which saw 13 killed, international rights group Amnesty International said. Ten Palestinian refugees were killed as they commemorated the 1948 expulsion from their homes and….
Female prisoner held past release date, center says
5/18/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israel’s prison service decided to retain a Palestinian detainee in custody on Tuesday, without explanation, the Al-Ahrar prisoners center said, despite an order from a military court mandating her release. Semha Abed Al-Qader Hejaz, 37, was detained after she was said to have attempted to bring mobile phones to….
EU official: Open Gaza crossings immediately
5/19/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva called for the “immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons,” following her trip to the coastal enclave Tuesday. It was a message she also conveyed to Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Tel Aviv, when she….
UNRWA union strikes in Gaza, says 3 dismissed unfairly
5/19/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Palestinians working for the UN refugee agency in Gaza announced a comprehensive strike for Wednesday, over the dismissal of three employees union officials say were wrongfully let go. The strike will last all day Wednesday through Thursday, and see all of UNRWA’s unessential services, like schools, clinics, and….
Gaza crossing to receive 300 loads of goods
5/18/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities decided to partially open Gaza’s sole remaining commercial crossing terminal on Wednesday, to allow aid and goods into the Strip. Palestinian liaison official, Raed Fattouh, said approximately 300 truckloads of goods including eight loads of cement for UNDP projects and 52 truckloads of aggregate for the….
Nablus: 1 detained during village raid
5/18/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israel’s military raided the village of Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqeiyah south of Nablus on Wednesday, detaining one young man following what residents said was a stone-throwing incident on the nearby highway. The village is next to the main road connecting Nablus to Ramallah, which also connects to illegal Jewish-only settlements in….
Gaza: Woman killed in gun accident, police say
5/18/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A woman died Wednesday in Gazaafter local sources said she was shot in the face by her son, who was said to have been playing with his father’s gun. The 43-year-old woman from the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya was taken to the Kamal Udwan….
Israel-Turkey ties threatened by new Gaza flotilla
5/19/2011 – ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — A new aid flotilla aiming to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip threatens to deal a fresh blow to Turkish-Israeli ties, a year after a bloody Israeli seizure of a Turkish activist ship. Bilateral relations remain stuck in crisis after several fence-mending meetings between the one-time allies over the past year….
Hamas leader: No change on negotiations
5/19/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas’ position on negotiating with Israel has not changed, a top official said Wednesday. Mahmoud Zahhar said remarks by politburo chief Khaled Mash’al in Cairo did not represent Hamas’ position, which “is based on resistance as its political program – not negotiations.”Mash’al had said in….
World Bank finds ‘significant’ PA progress, some lags
5/18/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The World Bank released a report Wednesday, commending the Palestinian Authority for its work in creating strong public institutions, but recommended continued reforms to prevent corruption and better public services. The report was released as Palestinian officials continue to push a program of state building in conjunction with diplomatic efforts to….
Obama: Mideast talks ‘more vital than ever’
5/18/2011 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President Barack Obama warned Tuesday that political turmoil battering the Middle East made it “more vital than ever” that Israel and the Palestinians get back to the negotiating table. Despite a mood of deep pessimism surrounding Obama’s peace drive, in Israel, in Washington and for Palestinians, the president said during….
Media: Israel PM’s ex-advisor leaked secrets
5/18/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — The former director of Israel’s national security council, Uzi Arad, left his office in March after admitting he had leaked secret information to the press, Israeli media reported Wednesday. Arad, previously a key advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stepped down in March making no mention of the leak, but was….
Fatah official says party ready for elections
5/18/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an)— Fatah leader Muhammad Al-Madani said Wednesday that the party was ready for local, presidential and legislative elections whenever Palestinian factions agree to hold them. Al-Madani said in a statement that Fatah members met and discussed the elections and whether they are ready for this step. The members agreed on some essential….
Palestinian scouts launch centenary celebrations
5/18/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Prime Minister in Ramallah Salam Fayyad lit the torch of the Palestinian scouts’ centenary celebrations which took place in Ramallah Sunday. The celebrations began and will last for one year until the movement’s 100th anniversary in 2012. It started with a scout parade in the streets of Ramallah….
Fleeing unrest, students appeal for spots at home universities
5/19/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Students returning from universities in Libya and Yemen are appealing to the ministry of education this week, for exemptions from records transfer requirements, saying they could not obtain proper documents as uprising hit their host nations. The students number in the dozens, they have returned from study in parts of the….
The Barak-Arafat peace accords failed in part because of Dennis Ross
Palestine Note 18 May 2011 – Dennis Ross was always a phony. He pretended to be a neutral arbiter of Middle East peace but was in fact a flak for the Israeli side. Well, after Ross screwed up the Camp David meeting between Ehud Barak and…
World Bank Issues Corruption Rankings
Palestine Note 18 May 2011 – Palestinian Authority gets mixed grades Washington Post – The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday got mixed grades from the World Bank on official corruption: It’s doing well in managing public finances and reducing nepotism in civil service hiring, but has failed…
Egypt FM elected next Arab League chief
Palestine Note 18 May 2011 – Al Jazeera – Egypt’s foreign minister has been confirmed as the Arab League’s next chief, after last minute diplomacy left him as the only candidate in the race. Egypt changed its candidate for head of the 22-member Arab organisation at…
Israel blocks anti-war activists’ ship from reaching Hamas-ruled Gaza
Palestine Note 18 May 2011 – Washington Post – The Israeli military on Monday blocked a Malaysian anti-war group’s ship from reaching the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Israel maintains a naval blockade of Gaza and restricts goods transferred overland to the Palestinian territory, citing concerns they could…
Israel’s Netanyahu takes tough line toward Palestinians, Hamas ahead of trip to White House
Palestine Note 18 May 2011 – Washington Post – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday took a tough line toward an emerging Palestinian government ahead of a high-profile trip to Washington, saying “those that want to destroy us are not partners in peace.” Netanyahu reiterated…
Moviemaking Coen brothers win 2010 Dan David Prize in Israel worth $1 million
Palestine Note 18 May 2011 – Washington Post – The moviemaking brothers Joel and Ethan Coen have been awarded a prize worth $1 million. The Dan David Foundation gives three prizes every year, in past, present and future categories. Read Full Article Photo: [jacobsoboroff, Flickr]
As Arab Spring continues, black markets boom
Palestine Note 18 May 2011 – Al Jazeera- As the Syrian uprisings escalate in violence, Lebanon’s black market in arms is flourishing, with prices of light and medium weapons driven higher by Lebanese and Syrian demand. “Prices have tripled in less than two months,” says Wael,…
Italy to upgrade Palestinian delegation to full diplomatic mission
Palestine Note 18 May 2011 – Haaretz- Italian President Giorgio Napolitano announced Monday that Italy was upgrading the status of the Palestinian representation in Rome, from a delegation to a full diplomatic mission, Israel Radio reported. Speaking during a press conference with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud…
UN takes proactive role in world politics after Arab Spring
Palestine Note 18 May 2011 – Deutsche Welle – The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a more proactive role in international politics in recent months as the world has been rapidly confronted with one crisis after another. In the civil wars in both Libya…
Norman Finkelstein on revolution, counter-revolution and Israel-Palestine
Palestine Note 18 May 2011 – Al Masry Al Youm- Norman Finkelstein, an American political scientist who specializes in the Holocaust and the Israel-Palestine conflict, is in Egypt for the first time today for a lecture at the American University in Cairo. Finkelstein’s political and scholarly…
Former Israeli soldiers break the silence on military violations
Palestine Note 18 May 2011 – Guardian – Transgressions by the Israeli army in the occupied Palestinian territories will be disclosed by a group of former soldiers in an internet campaign aimed at raising public awareness of military violations. (Please visit the site to view this…
Why I blew the whistle about Palestine
Palestine Note 18 May 2011 – Ziyad Clot, Guardian- In Palestine, the time has come for national reconciliation. On the eve of the 63rd commemoration of the Nakba – the uprooting of Palestinians that accompanied the creation of Israel in 1948 – this is a long-awaited…
Syria’s Sluggish Economy Adds to Regime’s Troubles
Palestine Note 17 May 2011 – Wall Street Journal- The Syrian government, stuck in a stalemate with protesters, also is facing the longer-term challenge of keeping the country’s already creaky economy from collapsing. As in Egypt and Tunisia, economic woes played a part in the protests…
Abbas signs amendment to honor killing law
Palestine Note 17 May 2011 – Ma’an – President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday signed an amendment to Palestinian law to end leniency for civilians found guilty of assault or murder “in defense of family honor.” The move, welcomed by women’s rights activists, came in the wake…
Dorothy Parvaz: Inside Syria’s secret prisons
AlJazeera 18 May 2011 – ‘We could clearly hear the interrogator pummelling his fists into his subject,’ writes our correspondent.
Yemen rivals fail to sign GCC-brokered deal
AlJazeera 18 May 2011 – Gulf mediator leaves Sanaa after president refuses to ink plan that would have seen him stepping down in a month.
US slaps sanctions on Syrian president
AlJazeera 18 May 2011 – US officials say sanctions are to increase pressure on Bashar al-Assad to end his violent crackdown on protesters.
Russia ‘to oppose use of force against Syria’
AlJazeera 18 May 2011 – President Medvedev comes out against any UN move to authorise use of force, saying Syria must settle own affairs.
Syrian tanks enter border town
AlJazeera 17 May 2011 – Protests continue despite the military siege in some cities and towns across the country.
Bethlehem and Hebron Score High Unemployment Rates
PNN – Bethlehem – PNN – According to recent studies conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics the southern districts of Bethlehem and Hebron scored the highest in unemployment rates among West Bank…
White House Rep.: Obama will not Demand Israel to Withdraw to 1967 Borders
PNN – Bethlehem – PNN – The White House denied Israeli media reports that said on Tuesday the President Obama will call during his coming speech on Thursday Israel to withdraw to the 1967…
Near East Consulting Survey Palestinian Media Agencies
PNN – Ramallah –Near East Consulting to PNN – on Tuesday the Near East Consulting group issued a new survey that involved Palestinian media agencies, according the survey, there are 192 functioning media organizations…
International Solidarity Movement
Nakba day in Gaza
5/18/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Gaza – Nakba Day. The day of the Catastrophe. A day to mark the ethnic cleansing of 800,000 Palestinians from their homes. A day to remind themselves and the world, that one day, they will return to their homes, that they have not forgotten their land. Today marked 63 years of dispossession, 63….
Free Bassem and Naji Tamimi
5/18/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – Popular Struggle Coordination Committee – Recent events have once more proven the potency of civil resistance, and its ability to bring about change and end injustice. From the Arab Spring to the recent demonstrations commemorating the Nakba, ordinary people are affecting change. While Abdallah Abu Rahmah is finally out of Israeli prisons, a new wave of…. Related: Popular Struggle Coordination Committee
Alternative Information Center
Arab Spring: Rebellions of our Peoples Make Us Stronger
Alternative Information Center – Not a single regime in the entire world is immune to collapse when the right time comes. However, as history teaches us, the regime won’t collapse by itself. The Arab rebellions are being created by the…
Netanyahu Greets New Reality with Old Words
Alternative Information Center – Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech before the Knesset on Monday 16 May was the first of three programmatic speeches he has planned for this coming week. The next two will occur in the United States, one at…
Barak allows Knesset members into Nabi Yousef tomb
18 May 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, has approved the visit of a group of Israeli Knesset members into Al-Nabi Yousef tomb, in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
6 Palestinian children arrested by Israel in Qalqilya
18 May 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)Israeli occupation forces arrested at Wednesday six Palestinian children from the town of Azoun in the east of Qalqilya after raiding their homes, under the pretext of throwing stones at Israeli vehicles without damage reported..
No jail time for Katsav before outcome of appeal against rape conviction
Ha’aretz – Supreme Court accepts former president’s request to delay his 7-year prison sentence for two counts of rape and sexual abuses.
Russia expels Israel’s military attaché over espionage claims
Ha’aretz – Colonel Vadim Leiderman arrested, questioned late last week; Israeli security reportedly questioned him upon his arrival for allegedly contacting a foreign agent, suspicions from which he was cleared.
Knesset to discuss Armenian Genocide amid deteriorating Turkey ties
Ha’aretz – Planned Knesset panel meet would be the first public discussion of a subject that Israel has longed sought to avoid as a result of its long-time alliance with Turkey.
Netanyahu unveils Israel’s anti-cyber terror taskforce
Ha’aretz – Cybernetic team to work to prevent cyber ‘terror attacks’ by foreign countries that could seriously harm Israel’s defense systems.
World Bank gives Palestinians mixed marks on corruption
Ha’aretz – Palestinians doing well in managing public finances, reducing nepotism, but fail to prosecute senior officials suspected of dipping into public coffers.
Elad sues activists for libel
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – In suit, Elad accuses the Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity Movement of libel for distributing false information during demonstrations outside park over Pessah.
Conflicting reports emerge on water crisis
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Prof. Uri Shani to Channel 2 news: Water crisis has ended; Water Authority: We are missing one bullion cubic meters of water due to six-year drought.
Egyptologist suspected of smuggling antiquities from Israel
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Retired lecturer from the US allegedly sold artifacts to tourists for $20,000, tried to leave country with ancient coins.
Bill could increase fathers’ parenting rights
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – If approved, bill will allow fathers to use the rights already afforded to mothers who work to be more available to their children.
Channel 10 program reenacts Schalit abduction
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – The one-hour documentary, When They Took Gilad, will air Thursday at 9 p.m. within Amnon Levy’s “Panim Amitiot” program.
Barak’s lawyers begin media blitz to clear his name
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Navot Tel-Zur says that close reading of State Comptroller report provides evidence clearing Barak of any wrong doing.
Police increasingly sure TA truck rampage was deliberate
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Investigators believe their findings contradict driver’s version of events, according to which a punctured tire caused him to lose control of vehicle.
J’lem man arrested for building four bombs
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Pisgat Zev resident sold bombs for criminal purposes, police believe; served seven years in prison for similar offenses and was released.
Director Trier stirs up Cannes with Nazi comments
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Award-winning Danish auteur accused of “pulling a Mel Gibson” after joking about being a Nazi, saying “Israel is a pain in the ass.”
Syria Christians fear for religious freedom
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Minority fears change in secular Syria, concerned over plight of Christians in Iraq, Egypt; community says it has Biblical roots.
Eilat mayor: Terrorists could infiltrate Israel’s border
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – After African migrants cross into Eilat, Mayor Yitzhak Halevy calls on Barak to take action against influx of asylum seekers.
Assad: Security forces made mistakes during uprising
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Comments come as tanks shell Syrian town; West piles on pressure on Assad to stop violent repression; Tel Kelakh death toll rises to 27 civilians.
Iran rejects US sanctions as ‘psychological warfare’
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Economy Minister says policies are a “propaganda tool” by US gov’t trying to “impose its arrogant will” on Iran.
Court: Katsav to remain out of jail until appeal decision
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Supreme Court judge rules that former president’s chances for appeal warrant the postponement of his entry to prison until the appeal process for his rape conviction is complete.
Supreme Court: Katsav to remain free pending appeal
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – ‘Katzav not a flight risk, danger to public,’ court says; women’s groups and analysts say court decision undermines equality before the law.
Fatah official slams PM: ‘He hasn’t gained anything’
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Rajoub says Netanyahu focused more on politics than peace, Palestinians have nothing to lose in declaring statehood at UN.
Knesset commemorates 66th anniversary of Nazi defeat
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Netanyahu calls World War II veterans “a symbol of Jewish resilience,” Rivlin: be vigilant, anti-Semitism still exists.
Tanks shell Syrian town, West piles on pressure
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Tel Kelakh death toll rises to 27 civilians; Tanks pound border town for fourth day; US, EU say they plan new steps on Syria.
Won ‘Jeopardy!’ (What did the rabbi do on Monday?)
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Rabbi Joyce Newmark uses the Jewish skill for answering a question with a question to win $29,200 on the American trivia show.
Israel’s self-made tsunami
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – The crippling fear of September’s UNGA coupled with Israel’s continued delegitimization sadly means that, with help from the PM, Barak’s self-fulfilling “diplomatic tsunami” prophecy may actually come true.
Barghouti: Israel, US can’t stop Palestinian statehood
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Jailed Second Intifada mastermind says that state will not rise from negotiations, supports planned unilateral declaration in UN.
Continuing the conflict
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – In the old days, the theme of continuing conflict was stated bluntly in the no peace, no recognition, no negotiations approach. Today, opponents of the peace process take a more subtle approach.
Philip Roth wins Man Booker International Prize
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “American Pastoral” and “Portnoy’s Complaint” wins award for body of literary work.
Egypt’s army says it has no plans to pardon Mubarak
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Military accused of giving former president special treatment after detaining Mubarak in hospital, not jail with other officials.
Barak’s lawyers: Defense minister’s actions were legal
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Ram Casspi: Media focused disproportionately on comptroller report dealing with Barak; Navot Tel-Tsur: No basis for allegations in report.
Expert: Al-Qaida has caretaker head pending succession
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Saif al-Adel is operating as interim leader until Ayman al-Zawahri officially succeeds Osama bin Laden.
Brutal murder stirs Palestinian debate on women’s rights
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – PA promises reforms to ensure greater equality between men and women after the “honor killing” of Aaya Barad’iyya by her uncle.
‘Uzi Arad’s leaked info was a civil, not security, issue’
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Official says classified info dealt with energy, according to Israel Radio; report comes after Justice Ministry confirms Arad was PMO leak.
Muslim creationists tour France denouncing Darwin
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – “We didn’t descend from the apes,” lecturers influenced by US anti-evolution activism tell students at Muslim schools.
Histadrut threatens to declare partial strike at opera
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2011 – Singers and other opera workers demanding collective bargaining and better work conditions for employees.
The Right Word: On liberal media bias | Sadhbh Walshe
The Guardian 18 May 2011 – For Rush Limbaugh, the deck is so stacked that not even sexual assault charges will disgrace a ‘socialist’ like Strauss-Kahn Bill O’Reilly The week got off to a disappointing start for Bill O’Reilly with announcements from…
Mission impossible: Barack Obama’s Middle East speech | Simon Tisdall
The Guardian 18 May 2011 – Obama will have to call on all his oratorical skills when he gives the US take on the Arab spring and Middle East peace process Barack Obama is good at speeches. He proved it in Cairo…
Historian writes of ‘pleasure’ at murder of pro-Palestinian activist
The Guardian 18 May 2011 – Author of op-ed article in Jewish Chronicle tells me he ‘rejoiced’ at death of Vittorio Arrigoni I was sent a link this week to a piece published in the Jewish Chronicle by historian Geoffrey Alderman, the…
LIBYA: Ajdabiya Seeks Semblance of Peace
IPS Although the front line is at its gates in eastern Libya, the city of Ajdabiya is trying to get back to normal under threat of attack by the troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and, especially, under the risk posed by unexploded ordnance in streets, gardens and houses.
Yemen Rivals Fail to Sign GCC-Brokered Deal
IPS Yemen’s president has for a second time backed out of a Gulf- sponsored deal to transfer power.
Spring Not New to Arab Women
IPS Women have been taking leading roles in the Arab uprisings of Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, Morocco and Bahrain – shattering many decades old Western myths that Arab women are powerless and enslaved.
MIDEAST: When Talks Fail, Try Belly Dance
IPS “Hop-a-li, Hop-a-la!” On the stage of the Arab-Hebrew Theatre established in the ancient Arab port of the vibrant Jewish metropolis, a troupe of Israeli men and women interlaces, belly dancing to a frenetic Hafla tune.
[uruknet.info] Historian writes of ‘pleasure’ at murder of pro-Palestinian activist Author of op-ed article in Jewish Chronicle tells me he ‘rejoiced’ at death of Vittorio Arrigoni
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – I was sent a link this week to a piece published in the Jewish Chronicle by historian Geoffrey Alderman, the opening sentence of which I found pretty shocking. Under the headline This Was No Peace Activist, Alderman wrote: “Few events – not even the execution of Osama bin Laden – have caused me greater…
[uruknet.info] On the anniversary of the Nakba, demands for the right of return grow louder
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – The sixty-third anniversary of the Nakba witnessed a number of important events set up by Palestinian refugees in Arab countries surrounding Palestine, in the Diaspora, and inside the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, including Jerusalem. Even Israel – that part of Palestine occupied in 1948 – witnessed marches to a number of Palestinian…
[uruknet.info] Significant advances made in relationship between Hamas and Western states
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – The Head of International Relations for Hamas has claimed that there have been “important breakthroughs” in the relationship between the Islamic Resistance Movement and “a number of Western countries”. Osama Hamdan also told Quds Press that “there is a European understanding of Hamas positions” although it is too soon “to reach any conclusions” from…
[uruknet.info] Distrusting U.S., Saudi Arabia embarks on more assertive role
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – …In the longer-term, a Saudi tilt to the East may simply reflect new economic realities. Some 55% of Saudi oil now flows to Asia, compared with about 10% that flows to the United States. The Saudi state oil firm has built refineries in China, and trade between the two countries was worth $40 billion…
[uruknet.info] Multinational companies mining occupied Palestinian land
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – HeidelbergCement and Cemex, two building materials industries from Germany and Mexico, respectively, are involved in the operation of quarries in the occupied West Bank. The Electronic Intifada has obtained documentation showing loaded trucks leaving the illegal quarries and traveling into Israel. International law prohibits Israel’s exploitation of natural resources in the occupied West Bank,…
[uruknet.info] Left to die in the Mediterranean
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – “WHEN THE entire international community almost unanimously says that there is a potential humanitarian crisis about to take place, we can’t simply stand by with empty words; we have to take some sort of action.” That was what Obama told reporters in late March, justifying the U.S. and NATO intervention in Libya. But “stand…
[uruknet.info] Russia expels Israeli military attache
Uruknet May 18, 2011 — Russia has expelled Israel’s military attache at its Moscow embassy on spying allegations, Israeli defense officials said on Wednesday, dismissing the charges as unfounded. The officials said air force Colonel Vadim Leiderman returned to Israel several days ago after being questioned by Russian authorities over espionage allegations and then told to leave the country…
[uruknet.info] Toward a “Palestinian Spring”
Uruknet May 18, 2011 – Palestinian youth are asking how the popular democratic uprisings in Arab countries can inform their national struggle. They launched the first intifada in 1987 and fueled the second intifada in 2000, and they believe they have a role to play in the Arab youth uprisings calling for democratic changes. Palestinian political and civil society…
[uruknet.info] NATO warplanes step up attacks on Libya
Uruknet 18 May 2011 – NATO has escalated its war against Libya, widening air strikes to hit civilian government buildings and economic infrastructure. Early Tuesday, bombs and missiles once again pounded the capital of Tripoli, destroying buildings near the compound of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The repeated attacks on the area have all the earmarks of an attempt to bring…
[uruknet.info] “Tear Out My Eyes”: New Murder
Uruknet May 17, 2011 – May 17, 2011 – One of President Barack Obama’s most signal achievements in inter-American relations has been his countenancing of a brutal coup in Honduras and his avid embrace of the repressive regime produced by the elitist overthrow of the democratically elected government. As we noted here last year: Since the installation of these…
[uruknet.info] The International Criminal Court and Gaddafi
Uruknet 18 May 2011 – The request by chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo that arrest warrants for war crimes be issued against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and the head of Libya’s intelligence service, Abdullah al-Senussi, only confirms the role of the International Criminal Court as a tool of the imperialist powers. The warrants are, in effect, being…
[uruknet.info] Cruel and sadistic intoxication of power
Uruknet May 17, 2011 – My family updated you using my email on what happened on Nakba day . Hundreds of us were kidnapped by the apartheid soldiers from demonstration and hundreds were injuried and scores were martyred. Before I give my report I wanted to thank every one who took action. I have far too many emails to thank…
[uruknet.info] On an old anniversary, a new sense that change is possible
Uruknet May 17, 2011 – They are extraordinary scenes. Film shot on mobile phones captured the moment on Sunday when at least 1,000 Palestinian refugees marched across no-man’s land to one of the most heavily protected borders in the world, the one separating Syria from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Waving Palestinian flags, the marchers braved a minefield, then tore…
[uruknet.info] The Nakba, in Human Terms
Uruknet May 17, 2011 – The Nakba is the Palestinian catastrophe. It means upheaval, violence and cataclysmic loss; it describes the terror, which drove almost one million people out of their homeland, as well as the perpetual terror in exile -displaced, dispossessed, stateless, lost and forbidden to return; it remains the multiplying injustice of another people’s sin burgeoning in…
[uruknet.info] Israeli army uses dogs against Palestinian workers
Uruknet May 17, 2011 – Palestinians desperate for work in Israel will go to extremes to sneak past the West Bank barrier, but now they face a new hurdle — army attack dogs sent to sniff them out. Workers say the use of dogs to hunt down anyone trying to enter Israel illegally is a new phenomenon which has…
[uruknet.info] Government buildings on fire in Tripoli
Uruknet May 17, 2011 – A security services building and the headquarters of Libya’s anti-corruption agency were on fire in the capital Tripoli early on Tuesday after apparently being hit by NATO air strikes. The two buildings on Al-Jumhuriya Avenue are close to the residence of strongman Muammar Gaddafi in an area where two explosions were heard around 1.30am…
[uruknet.info] Drones Becoming Pervasive INSIDE America
Uruknet May 17, 2011 – Given that the national security apparatus has been hijacked to serve the needs of big business and to crush dissent, it’s not far-fetched to think that information gained from drones will be used for purposes that are not necessarily in the best interests of the American people. And as I noted earlier today, the…
[uruknet.info] Day of mourning called in Lebanon’s refugee camps after Nakba demonstration deaths
Uruknet May 17, 2011 – Thousands of Palestinians across Lebanon were in mourning yesterday, as funerals began for the 10 people shot dead by the Israeli army during a demonstration on the Lebanon-Israel border on Sunday. Leaders from Lebanon’s 12 refugee camps, where more than 250,000 Palestinians reside, announced a day of mourning for those who died. A general…
[uruknet.info] Iraq snapshot – May 17, 2011
Uruknet May 17, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, a lengthy Basra protest gets some results, the Kurds want the US to stay in Iraq, Tom Bowman wants to half-inform you in his half-assed way, Senator Patty Murray gears up for an important Senate hearing, and more. Al Sabaah reports Iraq’s political blocs have agreed to address whether or not…
[uruknet.info] Statement from the Revolutionary Socialists of Egypt on the Nakba Protests
Uruknet May 17, 2011 – On the anniversary of the Nakba, the police and army fire live ammunition at Egyptians to protect the embassy of the Zionists. “With the fall of Mubarak, Israel announced that it had lost a strategic ally in the region. Congratulations to Israel on finding a replacement.” According to eye witness reports the demonstration which…
[uruknet.info] Don’t Fall for Ron Paul
Uruknet May 17, 2011 – …Keep all of this in mind the next time you hear a progressive toying with the idea of backing Paul’s 2012 campaign. Just because we agree wholeheartedly with Paul on one, two, or three issues doesn’t mean we should back his presidential campaign, which means (critically) supporting a candidate’s overall platform and political agenda….
[uruknet.info] Leaving The Church of Free Market Miracles: Where does one find succor and seeds of renewal in times such as these?
Uruknet May 17, 2011 – …Moreover, in the corporate state, the loss of community, in combination with the commercially-rendered sameness of the environment and the all-encompassing, manic insistency of mass media — both of which are so devoid of depth, context and meaning — it has become increasingly difficult for an individual to gain then retain the sense of…
Gadhafi fighters shell western mountains
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi shelled villages and towns to try to take control of the high ground in a western mountain range.
U.S. to Assad: Reform or quit
Daily Star 18 May 2011 The United States told Syria’s President Bashar Assad Wednesday to lead a transition or step down and slapped him with sanctions in its latest effort to press him to end deadly violence against his people.
Berri: Parliament can be held without government
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Debate over the legality of convening Parliament to address vital issues intensified Wednesday as deliberations to form a new government once again stalled, with deep rifts persisting.
Sfeir urges Cabinet formation, visits Jordan
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir left Beirut Wednesday on a trip to Amman during which he will visit the Jordan River, the site of the baptism of Jesus Christ.
March 14 raps rivals after anti-Syrian gathering cancelled
Daily Star 18 May 2011 March 14 politicians lashed out at their March 8 rivals Wednesday after a Beirut gathering to express solidarity with the Syrian people was cancelled, as Syria’s ambassador to Lebanon condemned misleading media reports about the situation…
Teachers’ strike makes a point, gives students a day off
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Across the country, tens of thousands of teachers went on strike Wednesday to protest against ongoing political stagnation.
Northern border residents say arriving refugees need help
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Residents of a Lebanese area near the border with Syria are appealing to authorities to provide more aid for Syrian refugees who have fled recent unrest in their country.
Simultaneous death threat SMS sent to 18 judges
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Eighteen Lebanese judges have received threats through simultaneous text messages sent from the same mobile phone number, according to a judicial source.
Feltman expected in Beirut soon for talks
Daily Star 18 May 2011 U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman is expected to arrive in Beirut in the coming hours on an official visit as part of a regional tour, Lebanese officials said Wednesday.
Making gasoline policy by telephone
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Keep up the pressure! You’re in a good negotiating position!
Traffic violators should expect tickets: ISF
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Traffic police from the Internal Security Forces announced Wednesday that more than 200,000 radar-detected violations of the speed limit have been recorded across the country since the start of its campaign last November.
Transformation of canvas: from a world record to 5,000 eco-friendly bags
Daily Star 18 May 2011 More than 7,000 Lebanese Red Cross volunteers are working to spread humanitarian and environmental values throughout the country as part of a campaign entitled Hand to Hand to Make a Greener Difference.
Boat show floats Lebanon’s luxurious potential
Daily Star 18 May 2011 The 7th International Boat and Super Yacht exhibition was launched Wednesday at La Marina in Dbayyeh under the auspices of caretaker State Minister Michel Pharaon, who was representing President Michel Sleiman.
Egypt’s army rules out plans to pardon Mubarak
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Egypt’s ruling military council dismissed Wednesday speculation it would pardon former President Hosni Mubarak, who is under investigation for graft and abuse of power, and said it does not interfere in judicial affairs.
Israeli Embassy military attache expelled from Moscow for spying
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Russia has expelled Israel’s military attache at its embassy in Moscow on spying allegations, Israeli defense officials said Wednesday, dismissing the claims as unfounded.
Militants open fire on Tunisian forces, clash leaves 4 dead
Daily Star 18 May 2011 A group of suspected Al-Qaeda members opened fire on Tunisian forces Wednesday, killing four, a security source told Reuters.Three of the nine armed men were killed in the clash in the northern town of Rouhia.
Water shortages worst in Middle East and Africa, study shows
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Water shortages are worst in Africa and the Middle East, and the hardest hit are nations in the Gulf, including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, according to a study released Wednesday by risk analysis firm…
Yemen transition deal falls through at last minute
Daily Star 18 May 2011 A deal on a transition of power in Yemen fell through at the last minute Wednesday, even as Washington stepped up pressure on President Ali Abdullah Saleh to sign a Gulf-brokered agreement to ease him out…
Iraqi forces capture 4 Al-Qaeda militants, including top commander
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Iraqi forces have captured four senior Al-Qaeda militants in an early morning ambush north of the capital, including one of the group’s top military commanders, defense authorities said Wednesday.
Bahraini journalists deny falsifying news
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Four journalists from Bahrain’s only opposition newspaper pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of fabricating news about the security forces’ crackdown on anti-government protests in the Gulf kingdom.
Abbas meets U.S. envoys before Obama speech
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas met Wednesday with two senior U.S. envoys a day before President Barack Obama delivers a speech on U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Will Iran’s Ahmadinejad survive as president until end of his term?
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Fighting for more power, not given to compromise and risking the disapproval even of the supreme authority in Iran’s clerical establishment; President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, it might seem, is headed for a fall.
Salehi: Kuwait, Iran to quickly return ambassadors
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Kuwait and Iran have agreed to return their ambassadors, Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Wednesday, signaling an end to tensions that have soured ties between the countries.
Kuwaiti Shiite and Sunni MPs come to blows in Parliament
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Shiite and Sunni MPs fought with fists in Kuwait’s Parliament Wednesday during a heated debate over inmates in the U.S. Guantanamo detention center, amid rising sectarian tension in the Gulf state.
Gaddafi’s wife, daughter in Tunisia – source
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Gaddafi’s wife Safia and his daughter Aisha came to Tunisia with a Libyan delegation, the source said.
Gemayel praises Mikati’s efforts in forming the cabinet
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Former President Amin Gemayel praises Mikati’s efforts and urges formation of a national salvation government.
IAEA fears Iran hackers
Daily Star 18 May 2011 U.N. nuclear agency diplomats tell AP that cellphones and laptops have apparently been tapped by Iranian officials looking for confidential information.
Parliament should convene to address pressing issues: Najjar
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Caretaker justice minister says constitution allows Parliament to pass laws while government waiting to be formed.
Tunisia demands Libya stop cross-border shelling
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Tunisia threatened to report Libya to the U.N. Security Council if it fired into Tunisian territory again, after Libya’s three-month-old conflict spilled beyond its borders.
Teachers’ strike closes most schools in Lebanon
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Tens of thousands of teachers stage a one-day strike, closing nearly all of the public and private schools across Lebanon in protest against the ongoing political vacuum.
Late hitch stalls signing of Yemen crisis pact
Daily Star 18 May 2011 An aide to embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh said Yemen’s political rivals have agreed to sign a Gulf-brokered plan to end bloody unrest, but the opposition expressed doubts about the deal.
US tells Syria’s Assad to lead transition or leave
Daily Star 18 May 2011 The news came as Syrian forces were accused of killing at least eight people in a besieged border town and as Assad said the two-month-old revolt against had been mishandled by the authorities but was now…
Lebanon’s Arabic press digest
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Summaries of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Wednesday
Al-Jazeera journalist who went missing in Syria free: TV
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Al-Jazeera journalist Dorothy Parvaz who went missing on her arrival in Syria last month is free and back in Doha, the news channel said on its website Wednesday.
Egypt’s army says has no plans to pardon Mubarak
Daily Star 18 May 2011 Army says fate of ousted president in judicial hands, after speculation he may have been receiving special treatment from the military.
IHH: Mavi Marmara ready for next flotilla
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Turkish movement says 10,000 people want to board ship for June’s Gaza-bound….
IMF head on suicide watch at NYC jail
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Dominique Strauss-Kahn under constant supervision at Rikers Island jail as….
Egypt’s military rulers deny Mubarak’s amnesty plans
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Cairo’s new governing body says it has no intention of pardoning deposed….
Court delays Katsav’s prison term
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Supreme Court Justice Yoram Danziger grants former president’s appeal to defer….
Assad: Security forces made mistakes
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Syrian president says country’s security forces made mistakes during uprising….
J’lem: Suspected bomb maker arrested
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Police detains Hanan Yadgarov, 36, for allegedly constructing four explosive….
IDF: No external probe into ‘Nakba Day’ border incident
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Criticism from within as IDF chief decides GOC Northern Command internal inquiry….
Hamas insists: No talks with Israel
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Mahmoud al-Zahar negates politburo chief’s speech, says there is no change in….
96 African infiltrators nabbed in Eilat
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Dozens of illegal aliens enter Israel via Egyptian border, ask for food, water,….
Comptroller asked to probe Arad ‘leaks’
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – State Control Committee chair says Uzi Arad should have been indicted for….
US professor suspected of selling stolen artifacts
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – Antiquities Authority finds history expert stole relics, sold them to tourists….
Friedman: Netanyahu doesn’t want peace
YNet News, 18 May 2011 – NYT columnist slams prime minister for ‘spending his time in office trying to….
Palestinian Information Center
Jerusalemites foil Jewish settlers’ attempt to capture Palestinian land
PIC – 18/05/2011 – 10:02 AM
Hadarim and Gilboa prisons join wide-ranging hunger strike
PIC – 18/05/2011 – 10:14 AM
IPS refuses to free a Palestinian mother despite court order
PIC – 18/05/2011 – 10:26 AM
Third intifada youth to declare action plan to commemorate naksa day
PIC – 18/05/2011 – 10:35 AM
OIC: Nakba Day deaths a reminder of Palestine situation
PIC – The OIC secretary-general has said that Israel’s attacks on peaceful Nakba Day protesters that killed and injured many are a reminder of the injustice the Palestinians have been dealt over 63 years.
Knesset members to storm Nabi Yusuf tomb in Nablus in broad daylight
PIC – Israeli war minister Ehud Barak has agreed to allow a “visit” by 20 Knesset members, mostly affiliated with the far right parties, to Nabi Yusuf tomb in Nablus in broad daylight for the first time.
Bahr: The Palestinians’ dignity more costly than money and lures
PIC – Deputy speaker of the Palestinian legislative council (PLC) Ahmed Bahr said the Palestinian people’s unity and dignity are more precious than political money and temptations.
IOF nabs 12 West Bankers at dawn Wednesday
PIC – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up Wednesday morning 12 Palestinians in the West Bank, among them five minors under age 18.
UNRWA employees strike to press for end to suffering of three coworkers
PIC – Thousands of employees working for the UNRWA have gone on strike for two days to pressure their agency to backtrack on its decision to dismiss three of their colleagues from their jobs.
IPS refuses court order allowing prisoner to phone her family
PIC – The Israeli prison service (IPS) has refused to comply with a supreme court order allowing prisoner Ahlam Al-Tamimi to contact her parents in Jordan by telephone.
Jewish terrorists nabbed in Jaffa mosque bombing plot
PIC – Jewish terrorists have been arrested in a plan to bomb a mosque in Jaffa city in the 1948-occupied territories.
Fatah security forces still detain citizens despite reconciliation deal
PIC – Despite the Palestinian reconciliation deal, the Fatah-affiliated security apparatuses in the West Bank still kidnap and summons dozens of citizens everyday.
Israel closes Jerusalem mosque, arrests two men at site
PIC – Israel has closed the Ibn Qudaamah mosque on Ikhwan al-Safa Street in Jerusalem’s Wadi al-Jawz neighborhood, alleging that it was being used as a headquarters for Hamas.
Islamic Jihad confirms West Bank security still targeting its men
PIC – The Islamic Jihad movement has renewed accusations that the West Bank security agencies have continued targeting its members after the signing of the historic unity deal.
Israeli Forces Break into Mosque in Jerusalem, Arrest Two Youths
WAFA
World Bank Report is Positive Improvement, Says Minister of Planning
WAFA
Rawabi Developer Looks Positively at Reports of Israeli Approval of Access Road
WAFA
Abbas to US Delegation: Ready to Resume Negotiations If Israel Meets its Obligations
WAFA
PCBS: Unemployment in First Quarter 2011 almost 22%
WAFA
World Bank: Significant Steps in Governance, But More is Needed
WAFA
Newspaper Reviews: Hamas and Fatah Making Progress with Reconcilitation
WAFA
Artwork Stirs Controversy in Knesset
WAFA
Ongoing Israeli Arrests of Palestinians in West Bank
WAFA
Can the UN be Trusted to Grant Long Overdue Statehood to Palestinians?
Intifada-Palestine: 18 May 2011 – Mahmoud al-Zahar Hamas don’t think so‚Ķ Do you? One of Hamas’s top men, Mahmoud al-Zahar, says he doesn’t trust the United Nations to hand statehood to the Palestinians. Dr al-Zahar notes http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?fromval=2&cid=23&frid=23&seccatid=23&eid=13883 that Bush promised an independent state and Obama can’t… more
Obama’s upcoming speech will spell out his Mideast rationale
LA Times 17 May 2011 – Aides say the president wants to clarify the U.S. stance as facilitator, not instigator, of political change in the Arab world. President Obama will seek to define his administration’s stance toward the rapid changes in the Middle East and North Africa in a major address…
Israel’s Barak says Netanyahu must take ‘daring’ steps toward peace
LA Times 18 May 2011 – Despite the current stalemate, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak says in an interview he believes a peace deal is closer than it was when he was prime minister during the Camp David talks in 2000. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday that a “daring”…
Abbas taking greater risks as he tries again to unify Palestinians
LA Times 18 May 2011 – Four years after he failed to forge a unity government between his Fatah faction and Hamas, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is trying again. This time, however, he appears willing to alienate the U.S. and Israel, if necessary. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is back…
Gas lines and empty roads in an oil-producing nation
LA Times 17 May 2011 – Life has changed dramatically in Libya during the three months since the uprising against Moammar Kadafi began. Traveling the coastal route from Tunisia to Tripoli, Libya’s capital, one thing became clear: One of Africa’s largest oil producers has become home to some of the world’s…
Missing Al Jazeera Reporter Dorothy Parvaz Is Freed
New York Times 18 May 2011 – The missing Al Jazeera reporter who was said to have been sent to Iran by Syrian authorities in early May was safely returned to the Arabic news channel’s headquarters in Doha, Qatar.
The Lede: The War in Libya’s Western Mountains
New York Times 17 May 2011 – Video from the Nafusah Mountains of western Libya gives a glimpse of a little-seen front in the battle for control of the country.
The Lede: Egypt Holds 136 for Israeli Protest
New York Times 17 May 2011 – The Egyptian military could bring charges against 136 people arrested during a protest outside the Israeli Embassy in Cairo on Sunday, including two prominent bloggers.
NATO warplanes step up attacks on Libya
WSWS – NATO has escalated its war against Libya, widening air strikes to hit civilian government buildings and economic infrastructure.
Elbit Systems & MOD plan new drone
Neged Neshek – Elbit Systems is working with the Ministry of Defense to develop a new drone. This is just the latest Israeli UAV innovation. This latest effort is a giant cargo UAV dubbed the “Flying Elephant.” Like most military innovations, the association with the concept ‘dumbo’ is quite…
Elbit to provide simulation systems to unnamed nation
Neged Neshek – Globes reported yesterday that Elbit Systems has won a $32.7 million contract to supply training and simulation systems to an “Unnamed Asian” recipient. The brief article states that “Elbit Systems will provide driving simulators for various tracked and wheeled armored vehicles and an advanced gunnery and…
Jewish-Americans Speak Out Against AIPAC Lobby’s Policy on Israel/Palestine
Jewish Voice for Peace – For Immediate Release:
‘Third Intifada’ flares up across the Middle East and on a Chicago campus
Mondoweiss – Palestinians commemorated Nakba Day on Sunday, protesting as part of the official start of the “Third Intifada.” Massive nonviolent protests took place in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt, West Bank, Gaza and even inside Israel. Indeed, these protests were unprecedented and undoubtedly influenced by the Arab…
AIPAC issues annual
Mondoweiss – “Don’t boo Obama” warning .
IAI stressed as millionaires purchase less
Neged Neshek – A steady – if secondary – source of income for Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for many years has been the sale of executive jets, one of the more ostentatious displays of wealth for the world’s most privileged class. Like many other manufacturers of opulent consumer products,…
Elbit Systems wins $20 million contract
Neged Neshek – Elbit was awarded a $20 million contract to supply its ComPASS electro-optics systems to an “Unnamed Asian” nation for said nation’s maritime patrol aircraft. “Unnamed Asian” nations are regular customers of Elbit and this is the second such contract announced this week . The firm has supplied…
US hails Bahrain as model of reform!
Mondoweiss – and other news from the Arab uprisings: Bahrain US hails Bahrain as model of reform! “Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa and Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa met at the Foreign Ministry today US Deputy…
U.S. already affirmed ’67 borders–only to have Obama backtrack
Mondoweiss – President Barack Obama is set to deliver a hotly anticipated speech tomorrow to “argue that the political upheaval [in the Arab world] raises the prospect for progress on all fronts, and will offer ‘some specific new ideas about U.S. policy toward the region,’” the New York…
Bush/Obama: New State Dep’t spokesperson has goldplated neocon pedigree
Mondoweiss – PJ Crowley is gone as the spokesman at State, for his unconsidered remarks about the persecution of Bradley Manning, and who is replacing him, reportedly a longtime State staffer named Victoria Nuland, a former Cheney aide who happens to be married to neocon Rob’t Kagan. “Toria…
PLC members get their first hearing after five years
Palestine Monitor – Four PLC members face deportation from Jerusalem on charges of being “disloyal.” Israel’s High Court heard their case on 17 May. – News / 2nd-col-1st-article , Non-violent resistance , Jerusalem , Palestinian politics , Prisoners
Contemporary dance takes Ramallah by storm
Palestine Monitor – Palestine Monitor speaks with the UK’s Akram Khan Company on their recent performance in Ramallah. – In Focus / 4th-col-1st-article , Culture , Video
Milad Ayyash, 17, Killed by Settler Guard’s Bullet
Tikun Olam – The current round of Nakba Day bloodshed was “kicked off” a few days ago by a demonstration outside an illegal settler home in the Beit Yonatan neighborhood of East Jerusalem. It was just an ordinary day in which Silwan residents were protesting yet another eviction and…
Yoav Even, Accused Rapist, Freed for ‘Lack of Evidence’
Tikun Olam – Welcome back, Yoav Despite reams of detailed evidence from the alleged rape victim (some of which I have seen), the Israeli prosecutor has dropped its case against Channel 2 reporter Yoav Even. The state declared it was doing so “for lack of evidence.” When a prosecutor…
Former IDF Spokesperson and Southern Brigade Commander to Testify in Corrie Civil Trial
Rachel Corrie Foundation 18 May 2011 – MEDIA ADVISORY May 22 to be Final Court Hearing FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 17, 2011 (Haifa, Israel) – Former IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Ruth Yaron and former Southern Brigade Commander, Colonel Pinhas (Pinky) Zuaretz are both scheduled to testify on May 22 in what is anticipated…
Last Minute Advice to President Obama Before the Mideast Speech
The Magnes Zionist 18 May 2011 – Memo To: Barack H. Obama, President of the United States From: One of your many liberal Zionist advisors Mr. President: In your address on the Middle East tomorrow, you will be, of course, using teleprompters. Be very careful that you don’t let your eyes wander from…
Arrigoni memorial well project opened
Middle East Monitor 18 May 2011 – A well project in memory of Italian peace activist Vittorio Arrigoni has been opened by the Municipality of Jabaliya El Nazla. Mr Arrigoni was killed by criminals in Gaza more than a month ago. The opening ceremony was attended by an Italian delegation along with officials…
Palestinian workers’ syndicate denies support for any premiership candidate
Middle East Monitor 18 May 2011 – The Palestinian Syndicate for Public Sector Workers, which has thousands of public sector employees in its membership, has denied that it is supporting any candidate for the premiership of the national unity cabinet soon to be formed. The syndicate’s Deputy Head said that media claims that…
On the anniversary of the Nakba, demands for the right of return grow louder
Middle East Monitor 18 May 2011 – The sixty-third anniversary of the Nakba witnessed a number of important events set up by Palestinian refugees in Arab countries surrounding Palestine, in the Diaspora, and inside the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, including Jerusalem. Even Israel – that part of Palestine occupied in 1948…
OIC condemns Israel’s killing of Nakba demonstrators
Middle East Monitor 18 May 2011 – The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has condemned the Israeli attacks on the peaceful protests held in commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba – Catastrophe. The protests took place in Palestine, the village of Maroun Al Ras in southern Lebanon, and…
US sanctions target Syria’s Assad
BBC 18 May 2011 – The US imposes sanctions for the first time on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for human rights abuses, as Damascus’ crackdown on protesters continues.
Israeli ‘spy’ expelled by Russia
BBC 18 May 2011 – Russia expels the Israeli military attache to Moscow after accusing him of espionage, the Israeli military confirms.
Syria frees al-Jazeera journalist
BBC 18 May 2011 – Al-Jazeera journalist Dorothy Parvaz, detained in Syria last month, is now free and safe in Doha after being deported to Iran, the network says.
US and EU seek to pressure Syria
BBC 17 May 2011 – The US and EU say they will be “taking additional steps” against Syria over its violent response to anti-government protests.
(en) Ireland, March on the banquet of the British and Irish elite in Dublin castle
A-infos 18 May 2011 – Some 30 million euro is being wasted between the visits of the US President & the British Queen to Ireland. One of the grosser occasions of the visit of the British Queen will be tonight (Wed 18 May) when the royal parasite will be sitting down…
Articles
Obama gives up, AIPAC wins
MJ Rosenberg, Al Jazeera5/18/2011
Supporters of justice in the Middle East need to raise their voices, lest president hears only Israel’s shouting.
On the surface it appears that president Obama has given up on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and, frankly, given the evidence, it is difficult imagining that there is something different beneath the surface. To wit:
Special Envoy George Mitchell resigned, clearly angry at the lack of support his peace efforts received from the White House – and his resignation letter was about as curt and cold as any in recent memory. The announcement of his resignation followed reports that the president’s Thursday speech on the Middle East will, amazingly, say virtually nothing about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A day after Mitchell’s resignation came news that the president had decided that he will speak at this month’s AIPAC conference, the traditional setting for pandering to the Israeli government and, more significantly, to Israel-centred political donors.
The most significant sign that the president has abandoned any pretence of being an “honest broker” in favour of gung-ho support for the status quo came in February, when Obama instructed UN ambassador Susan Rice to veto a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement expansion.
The resolution incorporated Obama’s own policy on settlements, so the decision to veto it – the US cast the only no vote – sent a clear signal that, at least until after November 2012, the Obama administration intends to avoid deviation from the AIPAC/Netanyahu blueprint. more.. e-mail
Nakba day in Gaza
International Solidarity Movement5/18/2011
Nakba Day. The day of the Catastrophe. A day to mark the ethnic cleansing of 800,000 Palestinians from their homes. A day to remind themselves and the world, that one day, they will return to their homes, that they have not forgotten their land. Today marked 63 years of dispossession, 63 years of ethnic cleansing. Thousands of Palestinians marched north from Beit Hanoun to the wall; thousands of Palestinians marched toward their homes.
As we approached the wall the Israeli army barked out its hello. A tank began to fire over the crowd and into the sand dunes lining the road. The Israeli bulldozers had already thoroughly destroyed anything that was once on this land, outside of threatening the crowd there was nothing to accomplish by this shooting. It is a strange thing to be fired at with a cannon from a tank; you can almost feel the air shake when the shell explodes. The crowd did not stop, it continued forward, chanting against the occupation, chanting their love of their land.
Soon the stream of wounded began. From the front of the crowd men and boys carried by their friends, by whoever was standing near them when they were shot. They came in a steady stream; you could hear the tak tak tak of the Israeli rifles echo against the calm sky. In the West Bank, the soldiers are usually stationed on a hill, first comes the tear gas, and then come the bullets, usually rubber at first, later the live ammunition. In Gaza there are no pretenses, first the tanks fire their cannons, then the soldiers safe in their concrete tower start to shoot live ammunition into the crowd.
The crowd, maybe a thousand strong by now, is strung out along the street. Their only cover the concrete lane separators. Above them, Apaches hover, not for the whole protest, but they come and go; perhaps they will fire missiles into the crowd. It is pretty hard to imagine what possible use an Apache has in crowd control. Then again it is hard to imagine the possible uses of a tank for crowd control, yet off to the right of the crowd an Israeli tank shelters behind an earth berm…. more.. e-mail
On an old anniversary, a new sense that change is possible
Jonathan Cook In Nazareth, The National, Israeli Occupation Archive5/17/2011
Ordinary Palestinians are drawing the same conclusion: in the face of tanks and fighter jets, Palestinian strength lies in a unified national liberation movement that refuses to be defined by Israel’s policies of fragmentation.
They are extraordinary scenes. Film shot on mobile phones captured the moment on Sunday when at least 1,000 Palestinian refugees marched across no-man’s land to one of the most heavily protected borders in the world, the one separating Syria from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Waving Palestinian flags, the marchers braved a minefield, then tore down a series of fences, allowing more than 100 to run into Israeli-controlled territory. As they embraced Druze villagers on the other side, voices could be heard saying: “This is what liberation looks like.”
Unlike previous years, this Nakba Day was not simply a commemoration of the catastrophe that befell the Palestinians in 1948, when their homeland was forcibly reinvented as the Jewish state. It briefly reminded Palestinians that, despite their long-enforced dispersion, they still have the potential to forge a common struggle against Israel.
As Israel violently cracked down on Sunday’s protests on many fronts – in the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem and on the borders with Syria and Lebanon – it looked less like a military superpower and more like the proverbial boy with his finger in the dam.
The Palestinian “Arab Spring” is arriving and Israel has no diplomatic or political strategy to deal with it. Instead on Sunday, Israel used the only weapon in its current arsenal – brute force – against unarmed demonstrators. — See also: Source more.. e-mail
PLC members get their first hearing after five years
Palestine Monitor: 18 May 2011 – Four PLC members face deportation from Jerusalem on charges of being “disloyal.” Israel’s High Court heard their case on 17 May. – News / 2nd-col-1st-article , Non-violent resistance , Jerusalem , Palestinian politics , Prisonersmore
Contemporary dance takes Ramallah by storm
Palestine Monitor: 18 May 2011 – Palestine Monitor speaks with the UK’s Akram Khan Company on their recent performance in Ramallah. – In Focus / 4th-col-1st-article , Culture , Videomore
Nakba Protests: A Taste of the Future
Palestine Chronicle: 18 May 2011 – By Jonathan Cook – Nazareth They are extraordinary scenes. Film shot on mobile phones captured the moment on Sunday when at least 1,000 Palestinian refugees marched across no-man’s land to one of the most heavily protected borders in the world, the one separating Syria from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Waving Palestinian flags, the marchers braved a minefield, then tore down a series of fences, allowing more than 100 to run into Israeli-controlled territory. As they embraced Druze villagers on the other side, voices could be heard saying: “This is what liberation looks like.” Unlike previous years, this Nakba Day was not simply a commemoration of the catastrophe that befell the Palestinians in 1948, when their homeland was forcibly reinvented as the Jewish state. It briefly reminded Palestinians that, despite their long-enforced dispersion, they still have the potential to forge a common struggle against Israel. As Israel violently cracked down on…more
U.S. Was Warned about Nakba
Palestine Chronicle: 18 May 2011 – By Dallas Darling Even alleged terrorists have authentic grievances, obvious truths that cannot be denied in regards to state-sponsored terrorism. This ancient certainty was again revealed when Israeli soldiers shot and massacred over twenty Palestinian protesters and wounded hundreds more. Their crime was commemorating the Nakba, an event when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were killed or militarily forced to flee their homes while Israel became a new state. The Palestinian protesters, killed alongside steel barricades in Lebanon, and the Occupied Golan Heights and Gaza Strip and West Bank, were not only calling attention to Palestine’s Nakba, also known as the Day of Catastrophe and a tragic remembrance which Israel has outlawed and tried to eliminate, but they were also demonstrating on behalf of Palestinian refugees and their right to return to their homelands. In 1948, when the Truman Administration and much of the United States recognized the creation of…more
Israel’s Doomed Fate
Dissident Voice: 18 May 2011 – “There will be no return– time has come to tell Palestinian refugees they will not be returning to the State of Israel,” writes Nahum Barnea, a prominent Israeli ‘liberal’ columnist It is becoming clear that Israel lacks the means to cope with Palestinian resilience. Despite Israeli barbarism; despite sixty-three years of oppression, racial discrimination and mass murderous tactics– including the usage of WMD– the Palestinian people have remained determined to return to their land. This week they reminded the Israelis, world Jewry and the rest of the world that the Palestinian cause is not going to fade away. If anything, in 2011, Palestinians seem more decisive, firm and united than their parents’ or grandparents’ generations. Hence, it is almost amusing to follow the bizarre manner in which Israeli writer Barnea tries to convince himself otherwise, proclaiming “Their politicians told them it would happen. The clerics promised Allah’s help. Foreign sponsors…more
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The New Dark Age 
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